I spent some downtime this weekend thinking about my tabletop game system some more. I thought it would be better suited as a ruleset, akin to a standard RPG, that can be adapted to any theme out there. This way I can release the ruleset and upcoming themes/adventures without worrying about physical production costs. People can download the PDFs or whatever and start playing with a standard deck of cards. If they want nicer looking pieces, they can go the print-on-demand route. It keeps the method of play open and encouraging.

After some thinking over the weekend and during a long "stand fest" on the BART this morning, I thought about introducing my ruleset with something that wasn't fantasy themed. I thought using something enjoyable from my childhood would be a better fit. That's what I decided the Power Rangers-esque theme would be a great start from both playing and creating perspectives.

The premise would be simple. The game is played across two stages:

Stage 1: Public area where fighting minions would happen. After n-turns, the main boss (normal sized) would come out. Upon defeating the main boss, you move to stage 2.

Stage 2: The main boss is given the power to turn large and you fight in the city in your giant robot fighter thing.

This lets me ease into the creation process by only dealing with a handful (at most) of monsters the players will fight. It also limits the number of weapons or items required for all the players. While it does keep the "endless possibilities" a bit more "end-close", it makes for a game that's easier to get out the door to see if the system is even fun.

Players in this theme will start as standard people, with the ability to "morph" into their super versions after enough enemies have been defeated. When the monster goes into kaiju mode, players will then enter their giant robot and pool their attack dice together.